Kentucky Automatic Rights Restoration Scheme Challenge

A pro-voting lawsuit challenging an executive order which excludes individuals with out-of-state felony convictions from Kentucky’s automatic voting rights restoration policy.

Background

A Kentucky resident with completed felony convictions from Indiana filed a lawsuit against Governor Andy Beshear (D) challenging Executive Order 2019-003, which grants automatic voting rights restoration for people convicted of certain Kentucky felony offenses. Although the executive order has restored voting rights to more than 100,000 Kentuckians, the plaintiff argues that it violates the state constitution’s equal protection principles by excluding individuals with out-of-state felony convictions. The plaintiff is asking the court to declare this unequal treatment unconstitutional and to require the executive order’s automatic restoration scheme to apply equally to all Kentuckians regardless of where their conviction occurred. 

Why It Matters

Kentucky is the only state in the country that categorically denies automatic voting rights restoration to individuals convicted of felonies in other jurisdictions. As a result, many Kentuckians remain disenfranchised even though they would be eligible to vote if they had been convicted of the same conduct under Kentucky law. 

Latest Updates

• Jan. 7, 2026: Plaintiff filed his complaint.